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Great stay, great sleep, great location. Near-by... - Review of Alto Hotel on Bourke

Long weekend stay at the Alto with our trip to Melbourne. First impressions are good and the location is excellent from arrival into town on the sky bus from the airport (terminal is <100m from the hotel). Hotel staff were very friendly and accommodating when a small issue was noted with the availability of the room (they thought it was made up but it wasn't quite finished). No problems, sorted easily. Room (studio queen) is typical size but bed is excellent and very comfortable. Aircon worked a treat which was very helpful after high 30 degree celsius days. Good sleeps all nights we were there and virtually no detectable noise from street or near-by train and tram stations/stops.Breakfast is excellent with full buffet and made to order menu items available. Well worth the decision to book a B&B rate. The coffee was also very good.Hotel is walkable distance to most things in Melbourne but for those less keen on the pedal mode of transport, there is a tram stop 20m out the front door that has links to the centre of the CBD, casino, Flinders station and all the other tram lines.Well worth staying at the Alto on Bourke.

Stayed February 2014, traveled as a couple

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We've been to Melbourne many times but only ever as a couple. This time, we had with us our 7 year old child and needed to find something that could accommodate them without encroaching on our personal space or on the budget. The Alto ended up being the perfect place. I'd like to point out those things that really made the difference from a family perspective (there's a few!).

We took the 1 bedroom apartment option. When so many hotels want to charge $50-$100 per night for a child to use a rollaway bed or to sleep in existing bedding, with the Alto, it's $15 per night and they received an entire sofa bed to themselves! The apartment gave us the flexibility of being able to put them to sleep in the bedroom at their normal bed time (which is important when travelling) and allow us to stay up in the lounge/kitchen area without disturbing each other. Also, windows are double glazed so we barely heard a peep from anything outside which was just fantastic!

Having a kitchen in the apartment was excellent - fully working and well stocked with pots, utensils etc. First day, we went to Coles around the corner, bought some essentials and stocked the fridge. Kept the little belly happy for days!

Foxtel - 2 actually (one in the lounge and one in the bedroom). A saving grace when you have a child who is an early riser and you're dying for a sleep in! You can record family movies and shows and all adult content is pin locked. A definite sinful luxury especially if you don't have it at home (we don't!).

Bathroom - Being a typical mum, I packed everything but the kitchen sink expecting those little bottles of shampoo and soap. I could have saved myself the hassle. Excellent quality, environmentally friendly products abound in pump containers which are super handy especially for kids. There was no bath in the 1 bedroom apartment (there are some with baths but you pay extra) but the shower has a detachable, hand held head to facilitate washing. Oh, and did I mention spotless? The entire place is spotless! I've never been in a hotel like it to be honest. The cleaning staff need to be congratulated!

Restaurant - we managed to have a dinner to ourselves one late night (they currently have a special on - 2 courses for $42 including house wine/beer/soft drink). We indulged in T-bone steak, ice cream and meringue. Wow. Well worth it! The free hot chocolates became a fav with our little one who would sit in the reading nook (yes, they have one!) and watch cartoons while sipping away.

Staff - The Staff at the Alto were always engaging and helpful - no matter the time or when we bumped into them (or how hyper our kid was!). For me, this really meant a lot and put our family at ease especially when children are suffering from tiredness and lag.

Location - The Alto is in an excellent location. Having to deal with tired children is a pain but being so close to the Skybus was a blessing! The 85 and 96 tram stop is right out the front which easily takes you to Bourke Street Mall and to connecting trams and the 85 heads straight to Docklands while the 96 goes straight to St Kilda and the Exhibition Centre (which was our reason for coming).

As a last point, the Alto has some fantastic food options around it if you're either looking for something cheap or different (let's face it, not everyone can eat in a restaurant every night!). Every fast food you can think of plus plenty of cafes. If, like us, you have a habit of missing the 9:30am breakfast finish, head next door to Langleys who serve some awesome breakfasts until 12pm.

The Alto really surprised us and surpassed all our expectations. So much so that we've already rebooked for our trip back later this year.

Challenging to find an hotel, which does not look like a single room and where you do not feel at home. Alto is different as most of the rooms have a small kitchen stand with a real fridge(bye bye small mini bar full of overpriced items) and you can even book a place that is more like an apartment. We tried the Queen studio, one of the first prices. The hotel is very clean and you get everything that you need: a large TV with Foxtel, fast Wifi, iron in the room, quietness… There is a relaxation room with massage chair and a breakfast(not tested). The room service stops after 11pm but you are in the center so walk to Chinatown if you are very hungry. The service is excellent from the night duty to the maids. Location wise, it is difficult to beat at these prices. You are walking distance from the station where buses depart to the airport every 10 minutes, 5 tram stops from the Collins/Swanston crossing(get your myki) but you can walk as well, especially after a long night when taxis are too busy. The only thing that was a bit disappointed is the size of the room in itself. Not enough to stay inside for a long time. Compared to the Citadines, it is smaller. Having check the prices, Alto always beat the others accommodation although sometimes not significantly. Reflecting on this, you are not staying in the CBD to remain in your room.

My family and I stayed for a short 4 night (31 January - 3 February) stay. We flew in from Queensland as we had my daughter's wedding to attend in Melbourne and found this hotel and the location and facilities very acceptable. The daily servicing of the unit was impeccable. The staff were very friendly and accommodating whenever we had need of them. We stayed in the two bed unit. It was VERY COMPACT but enough room and storage space for 3 adults and two children aged 4 and 1 year old. Parks etc are within walking distance to keep the littlies 'entertained' when they needed to get outside! We found the units to be well sound proofed (hope the neighbours on both side of our room did too!) The kitchenette was great for our early, early morning awakenings and breakfast preparations! The 2 bathrooms were a bonus especially with tight time frames for the follow up and post wedding meet-ups!! Thank you to all at the Alto On Bourke.... The Fell/Gribble Families...

Room Tip: Our air conditioned 2 bedroom unit was on the 4th floor (room 409)... No "view" to mentio...

The staff provided excellent friendly and helpful assistance during our stay.Well located and reasonably priced for location but can be a little expensive depending on time of year and if any events happening.Well worth the stay.

Nice and central, clean and quiet , value for money with kitchenette for ease of heating foods in own microwave. LOVED the free massage room chairs with foxtel. Not your run of the mill chairs, better than some massages lve received off walk in places in town. Unobtrusive staff make coming and going a non issue. Stayed 3nights and slept in 2 due to quiet house keeping (do believe wasn't busy though),this in itself is a real treat as most places bang around w house keeping from early am! Thank you alto. Got more than what l paid for which is rare. Will try spa suite next.

Room Tip: Book online through alto to get best value. I didn't but could have got better deal if l had!

We spent 4 nights in Melbourne and were very pleased with our choice to stay at The Alto. It's in a great location close to Southern Cross Station with easy access to trams, restaurants, cafes and all other attractions. With their environmentally friendly approach, rooms are provided with soap, shampoo and conditioner and lotion dispensers which is a really nice touch as well as energy smart control systems. The free Wi-Fi included in the tariff is also a really big plus.The staff are friendly and more than happy to help with anything you need. There is free tea and coffee and fruit in the lounge area which includes a cute little reading nook and a fantastic relaxation room with massage chairs which are wonderful after a long day walking the city.Breakfasts were amazing with plenty of choices.We'll definitely be staying again next time we're in Melbourne.

Stayed January 2014, traveled as a couple

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Also Known As:

Alto Hotel Melbourne

Alto Bourke

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